Technical Field
The invention relates to a lead screw guide assembly and a printing apparatus, and more particularly to a lead screw guide assembly and a three-dimensional (3D) printing apparatus.
Description of Related Art
As the technology advanced in recent years, many methods that utilize additive manufacturing technology (e.g. layer-by-layer model construction) to build three-dimensional (3D) physical models have been proposed. Typically, the additive manufacturing technology is to convert data of a 3D model, which is constructed by software, such as computer aided design (CAD), into multiple thin (quasi-two-dimensional) cross-sectional layers that are stacked in sequence. In the meantime, many technical means for forming thin cross-sectional layers are also proposed. For example, a printing unit of a printing apparatus is usually configured to move above a printing stand along an XY plane according to spatial coordinates XYZ constructed according to the design data of the 3D model, so as to use a construction material to form shapes of the cross-sectional shapes correctly. Then, by driving the printing unit to move along the Z-axis layer-by-layer, multiple cross-sectional layers can be gradually stacked and cured layer-by-layer; finally, a 3D object is formed.
A 3D printing apparatus is usually provided with a lead screw guide assembly. Through the movement of the lead screw guide, the constructing material in the printing unit is squeezed on the printing stand. To allow sufficient moving path for the lead screw guide, the housing of the 3D printing apparatus is provided with an operating space reserved for the lead screw guide to move therein, which in return causes the housing to be too large. In other words, to adapt to the actuation of the lead screw guide, the housing has to remain in the size that allows the lead screw guide to actuate even when the lead screw guide does not actuate. In that case, a part space of the housing is actually not in use when the lead screw assembly does not actuate. As the housing of the 3D printing apparatus has to be kept in a large size, which makes it difficult to transport or move the 3D printing apparatus.